The mainstream media suffered a further erosion of its authority during the 2016 campaign. It copiously displayed its disdain of Donald Trump, not least in assuming that his election to the presidency was not simply unlikely, but next to impossible. Then came the evening of November 8, when assorted media pooh-bahs stared in incredulity at the actual results—a Republican trifecta.

Many have blamed Trump himself for his adversarial relationship with the press, but that distracts from the media’s culpability. However unconventional or controversial Trump’s candidacy was—and it certainly broke new ground—the mainstream media have long failed to report the news truthfully about right-of-center public figures with whom it disagrees.

In my view, at a time when many are complaining about “fake news” manufactured by Russia, it is worth taking a closer look at the mainstream media’s complacency and downright dishonesty. Numerous examples exist, but two incidents involving Dr. Ben Carson, surely the most civil and genteel GOP presidential contender in the 2016 election, are illuminating.

Ying Ma appeared on Lateline, Australia’s leading daily current affairs program, to discuss the Donald Trump victory and his agenda moving forward. To view the discussion, please click HERE. Lateline airs weeknights on ABC in Australia.

A Wegman’s truck. A Friendly’s restaurant. Fall foliage in bright sunlight. A crisp chill in the air.

It’s late autumn in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

On the last Friday before Election Day, Donald Trump came to town for one of his massive rallies.

The mainstream media and the political establishment have relentlessly slandered these rallies as a congregation of the great unwashed—dumb and uneducated white people; racists, sexists, and xenophobes.

Yet, tens of thousands continue to show up at each event. When the Trump supporters begin cheering for their candidate, it is explosive and emotional—and deeply touching.

I’m a woman, a racial minority, and an immigrant, and I grew up in inner-city America. I have two university degrees, one from Cornell University and another from Stanford Law School. I have worked for some of the most elite institutions in America, including a foreign policy organization that counts Chelsea and Bill Clinton among its members.

According to conventional wisdom, I have no business being a Trump supporter. Yet I have been an unabashed fan since Trump declared his candidacy for president. In fact, never in my life have I been this excited about a presidential nominee.

Ying Ma appeared on Lateline, Australia’s leading daily current affairs program, to discuss last night’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. To view the discussion, please click HERE. Lateline airs weeknights on ABC in Australia.